USE OF PRIMATES IN EXPERIMENTS

Early day motion 270, tabled 23 November 2006 by Colin Challen (Labour). Signed by 68 members.

That this House welcomes the current revision process of Directive 86/609 on the use of animals in experiments launched by the European Commission; notes that more than 10,000 non-human primates are used every year in European laboratories; highlights that the use of non-human primates is an unreliable predictor of likely human effects and that a wide range of safer alternatives are available such as Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging, microdosing, computer modelling or tissue and cell culture; underlines that the replacement of animal testing by advanced techniques is in line with the Lisbon Strategy, as it opens markets for the European high-tech industry and boosts its competitiveness; therefore urges the EU institutions as well as the member states to pay special attention to the issue of the use of non-human primates in experiments in the revision process of Directive 86/609; expresses its deep concern that the United Kingdom is Europe's largest user of laboratory monkeys; and urges the Government to support a phase-out of all non-human primate experiments in the EU over the next six years in the Council of Ministers.

Signatures by party: Labour 46, Liberal Democrat 10, Conservative 6, DUP 4, Scottish National Party 1, UUP 1.